Hilton Head

Joe's conference turned family vaca turned out to be a wonderful time!  From the moment we hit the road to the time we checked in to the Westin Hilton Head we were all smiles.  I mean who wouldn't want to breath some ocean air and build sand castles for a week : )    

Alexandra was all about the sand castles.  They ranged from tiny little mounds to full blown pyramids with a moat.  I can't even count how many she built for "her little creatures." 

Lucas was happy on the shore or jumping waves.

And Sophia spent most of her time swimming.  She did take a few breaks here and there but mostly just to appease me.  She would have slept in the ocean if given the option.

The grounds were filled with lots of great activities for kids of all ages.  Off the top of my head they had crafts, ping pong, bike rides, golf, splash pools, water basket ball, water slides ...

Giant chess and checkers game ...

And a HUGE koy pond.  So we made sure we saved plenty of bread to feed the fish every day. 

The resort was also filled with lots of great climbing trees for our little monkeys.

Our mornings packed with sun and fun made nap time a breeze : )

More S'mores! They'll be experts by the time Fall comes around!

We unfortunately missed the turtles that come by to lay their eggs but the kids didn't seem to mind.  This statue gave us plenty of entertainment.  

Our after dinner walks on the beach were a perfect way to enjoy the ocean breeze.

We saw tons of sea life.  Everything from dolphins to live conchs and of course little hermit crabs.

Oh and how could I forget the alligator that almost ate off Sophia's arm : )

Lot's of family time and fun in the sun!  Who could ask for anything more!

Micca Reunion

The Micca Family reunion was at Aunt Judy's house this summer.  All the Micca cousins got together to celebrate 2 college graduations (Emily and Elizabeth), 2 high school graduations (Ryan and Amanda) and 1 preschool graduation (Sophia).  

Here's just a quick look into a fun filled weekend with the Micca crew!

Alexandra could not get enough of Uncle Lou!  She was just full of energy and lots of laughs.

The girls tried "surfing" this year!  With a little help from Kevin they were able to catch a few waves in the pool!

Here's Sophia trying to land a big one!

This little energizer bunny ... just kept going and going and going ....

Lucas had fun in the pool but when he found the shower he was all smiles! 

Eric introduced "Go Fish"  which quickly became a new favorite!

And of course, Lucas was in heaven with all those HESS vehicles!

S'MORES anyone?!?!

Sophia enjoyed cooking the s'mores but preferred eating the deconstructed version.

Alexandra on the other hand wanted nothing to do with the cooking.  She was all about the eating.  She definitely won the award for who ate the most s'mores : )Maybe that's where all that energy came from!

Time for the boat and jet skies!

Lucas would rather float around and do spins with daddy!

Oh and of course there's always time for a kayak ride or two with Emily!

  

And a little movie break with Uncle Chip!  

Lucas quickly warmed up to Uncle Lou!

Can you see how excited Alexandra was when she finally won one of the pool chicken fight battles!

Who says I can't fly?!?!

Tubing anyone?!?!  

Lucas surprised everyone when he was willing to take a ride with daddy.  And even more so when he kept asking for more : )  

 

Whew!  That was a BLAST!  Thanks big cousins and CONGRATULATIONS!

Mags

Maggie is always on the lookout to play with Lucas and he just loves spending time with Mags!  This Cibula/Micca combo is the opposite and miniature equivalent of Sophia and Jack : )

Happy 4th

                            

We celebrated America's birthday in style at The Zimmerman's.

Here are some of the kiddos enjoying their popsicle treat.  Can you believe how big they're getting?!?!  Both in size and numbers.  And next year we'll have two more in this crew : )    

Home Sweet Home

24 hours late but we finally made it home!  Better late than never : )

If you don't already know, we missed our return flight from Texas.  To make a very long story short, practically everything that could have gone wrong that morning did.  From the 4th of July festival blocking us in to airport security. As soon as we felt we had overcome one obstacle another was thrown our way. 

All I can say, is what started out as restless anticipation for the plane ride home that morning, ended with the four of us crying at the gate, watching as our plane headed home without us.  

But things could always be worse, right?  After all, we weren't stranded in some random connection city.  We were still in Dallas.  So we made the best with what we had (which honestly wasn't much at all) and spent one more unplanned day with Abu!  That made it all worth it! 

Fireworks!

While visiting we realized the local fireworks were going to be the night before we were scheduled to leave.  So of course, there was no way we could miss it!  After a quick walk we headed over to the festivities and waited for "the most beautiful thing they've ever seen!"   

And as we waited ... (for about 2 hrs, after all the sun wasn't setting until about 9:30pm) Sophia, Alexandra, and Lucas put on a show of their own!

Sophia was all about the music as she turned the steps into her very own stage!

Alexandra and Lucas took a little break from dancing to enjoy a nice messy icy.

Lucas was in heaven while posing in front of the fire truck.

And the long wait was all worth it!  Total awe : )

CEC

While in town we had to meet up with the Shegon Crew and there's no better place to beat the summer heat than good ole Chuck E Cheese!